West Ham show interest in Cody Drameh
The 21-year-old is very highly-rated, but he has failed to truly establish himself as a regular at Elland Road in recent years, with his game time predominantly coming out on loan.
After a hugely successful spell with Cardiff, Drameh joined Luton in January and played a pivotal role as they won promotion to the top-flight.
So, he returned to Leeds this summer with his stock high, but there have been doubts about Drameh’s future throughout the window, as he has entered the final year of his contract with the club.
West Ham are the latest club believed to be monitoring the youngster, who has yet to play in a league game for Daniel Farke this season.
Therefore, a sale is very much possible in the next eight days, but, speaking to FLW, Palmer explained why it would be a risk for Leeds to sell such an exciting talent.
“Cody spent last season on loan at Luton where he excelled, and helped them get to the Premier League. With a year left on his contract, and it seems no offer for an extension at this point, it would make sense for Leeds to sell him, rather than him going for nothing.
“I find it strange that Leeds would want to get rid of a young, talented right-sided player, who has proven his quality, and he can play to a higher level than the Championship. I think this is a mistake.”
Will Leeds sell Cody Drameh?
The reality is that the contract situation puts the Yorkshire outfit in a very difficult position, as they know Drameh could walk away and leave next summer.
So, it’s natural to consider offers, and the fact that Farke hasn’t put the player in his best XI means it’s hard to envisage Drameh wanting to stay.
As Palmer says, he has proven himself at this level in the past, so he knows he is good enough, but the Leeds boss will rightly want players who are committed to the long-term. All in all, it’s not really working for either party right now, and a sale would certainly seem to be on the cards ahead of the deadline, which is Friday September 1.
Would Leeds miss Cody Drameh?
Even if you can understand why Leeds would sell Drameh, that doesn’t mean it won’t be a mistake.
Luke Ayling has had a mixed campaign so far, and whilst he is a perfectly good right-back at this level overall, there is a feeling that Drameh has a much higher ceiling. He is a good defender in a one vs one, and he has the physicality to get up and down the pitch, which is why he excelled as a wing-back for the Hatters.
With that in mind, this would be a blow for Leeds to lose Drameh in the long-term, and if he goes on to have the career that some think he is capable of, there may well be some anger among the supporters at how the club treated the defender in the past.
Previous managers seemed reluctant to give him a chance in the first-team, which will be a key factor in why he may move on.